1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adaptive, energy absorbing shoulder mounted head cage apparatus. More specifically, the invention relates to a structure that completely encircles the head and neck of the wearer but is in spaced relation and thereby permits normal movement of the head. Upon impact from any direction, and especially to the vertex (or top of the head), the apparatus transfers the kinetic energy of the impact through the structure and to the shoulder pad on which it is mounted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices have been proposed that protect a user""s head from injury. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,004 issued in December 1972 to Kapitan et al., discloses a dome-like shock-resistant guard that rests on the shoulders of the wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,476 to Andrews, issued in May 1989 and discusses helmet having a bottom that is mounted on an annular track, the track is mounted on a shoulder pad. U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,855, that issued in March 1991 to Brown, is directed to a combination helmet and upper body protector. U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,271 to Butterfield, March 1994, in which an open cage head protector is supported by a shoulder pad. U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,437 to Field et al., issued in October 1994, discloses one helmet freely rotatable within a second outer helmet. The second outer helmet is attached to a shoulder pad. U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,367 issued in February, 1994, to Rush, III and discloses an inflatable protective means to protect the cervical spine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,870 to Pinsen issued in August, 1995 and discusses a helmet nested within a shoulder mounted cradle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,699 to Abraham, II, issued in May 1996, describes a post attached to a shoulder pad with a hood superposed above a helmet on the wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,330 to Carveth, issued in October 1996, is a helmet spaced to be high above the apex of the head of the wearer. The helmet is held in position through cantilever supports with pads that rest on the head of the wearer. Upon impact to the top of the helmet, the helmet is pushed down onto the user""s shoulders. U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,270 to Howat, issued in August 1998, discloses an outer second head covering mounted on a shoulder pad. A first head is disposed within the second head covering and is rotatable within the second covering on four spherical spaced apart bearings.
3. Medical Aspects
Catastrophic injuries often occur in football and hockey due to excessive axial loading on the cervical spine. Such injuries are now occurring more frequently because the players are much larger and weigh considerably more than in previous years. Although there has been a great deal of improvement in helmets, the magnitude of kinetic energy generated by impacts cannot be dissipated by the current generation of protective headwear. Therefore, there is a need for a protective head apparatus that offers the maximum protection to their head/brain, central nervous system/cervical spine. Furthermore, it would also be advantageous for a player to have full mobility of motion of the head and good all-around visibility.
A primary object of this invention is to provide a high energy absorbing structure that can be attached to existing shoulder pads worn by football players and hockey players that prevents head, neck and devastating cervical spine injuries. In this invention, the kinetic energy of an impact to the apparatus structure is attenuated by a shock absorbing system whereby the energy of the impact is transmitted to the shoulder pad and thence to the shoulders of the wearer. The apparatus of the present invention makes impossible axial loading of the cervical spine due to the open space between the crown of the structure and the head of the wearer. The apparatus of the present invention also makes impossible a direct impact to the head of the wearer and the possibility of a concussion is virtually eliminated. The apparatus of the invention is spaced apart and all around the head of the wearer, allowing a complete range of motion of the head. However, the range of head motion may be limited by an energy distributing and dissipating annular band that reduces high acceleration forces from whiplash type impacts that can cause injuries to the brain.
The design and construction of the protective head cage apparatus makes it readily adaptive for many different applications. Preferably, the size and weight is similar to that of existing helmets. Attachment of the apparatus to shoulder pad relieves the wearer of the weight of a helmet on his head and neck. Additionally, the wearer""s brain will not be subjected to the higher acceleration forces due to the weight of the helmet. One of the outstanding features of the apparatus is that it can be optimized for specific ranges of weights of wearers and readily adapted for the sports or industrial applications or environments.